Electric lubricant pump comprising a connectable drive

Abstract

A device for the supply of lubricant with a lubricant pump (101), which has a driveshaft (103), and a motor (107). The motor (107) is designed to drive the driveshaft (103). At least one clutch (109, 111, 113) serves to establish and/or interrupt a force flow between a shaft in the force flow of a transmission and the driveshaft (103).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for supplying lubricant, the device comprising:
 a lubricant pump having a driveshaft that is electrically drivable and mechanically drivable, 
 an electric motor being couplable to the driveshaft of the lubricant pump such that the lubricant pump is drivable by the electric motor, 
 at least one clutch being engagable to establish a force flow between a force flow of a transmission and the driveshaft of the lubricant pump such that, when the clutch is engaged, the lubricant pump is mechanically driven by the force flow of the transmission, 
 the clutch being disengageable to interrupt the force flow between the force flow of the transmission and the driveshaft of the lubricant pump such that, when the clutch is disengaged, the lubricant pump is electrically driven by the electric motor, 
 a first actuating element comprising a shifting fork which is pivoted in a first direction by a solenoid magnet when the solenoid magnet is activated, and the shifting fork being pivoted in an opposite second direction by a spring when the solenoid magnet is deactivated, 
 the shifting fork communicating with the clutch such that when the shifting fork is pivoted in the first direction, the clutch is disengaged to interrupt the force flow from the transmission to the driveshaft of the lubricant pump, and the lubrication pump is driven by the electric motor, and 
 when the shifting fork is moved in the opposite second direction, the clutch is engaged to establish the force flow from the transmission to the driveshaft of the lubricant pump, and the lubrication pump is driven by the transmission. 
 
     
     
       2. The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the spring being in contact with the first actuating element that engages and disengages the clutch, the spring being stressed when the clutch is disengaged, and the clutch is disengaged when an electric voltage is applied to the first actuating element. 
 
     
     
       3. The device according to  claim 2 , further comprising a switch element for turning the electric voltage to the first actuating element on and off to activate and deactivate the solenoid magnet. 
     
     
       4. The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the electric voltage to the first actuating element is switched off to deactivate the solenoid magnet if the electric motor develops a defect. 
     
     
       5. The device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 the first actuating element and a second actuating element, 
 the solenoid magnet of the first actuating element is activated when the electric voltage is applied, and the first actuating element is designed to disengage the clutch when the solenoid magnet of the first actuating element is activated, and 
 the second actuating element is arranged, between the first actuating element and the clutch, the second actuating element acts in combination with the first actuating element such that the second actuating element acts to engage the clutch when the clutch is disengaged by activation of the solenoid magnet of the first actuating element. 
 
     
     
       6. A device for supplying lubricant to a transmission, the device comprising:
 a lubricant pump having a driveshaft comprising first and second axial ends; 
 an electric motor having a driven shaft, and the driven shaft being rotationally fixed to the first axial end of the driveshaft such that the lubricant pump is drivable by the electric motor; 
 a clutch being shiftable to first and second positions such that the clutch, when shifted into the first position, establishes a flow of force from the transmission to the driveshaft of the lubricant pump, and the clutch, when shifted into the second position, interrupts the flow of force from the transmission to the driveshaft of the lubricant pump; and 
 an actuating element comprising a shifting fork, a solenoid magnet and a spring, the shifting fork communicating with the clutch and being movable in opposite directions, and the solenoid magnet communicating with the shifting fork and the spring such that:
 when the solenoid magnet is activated, the shifting fork is moved in a first direction, against a force of the spring, such that the clutch is shifted into the second position to interrupt the flow of force from the transmission to the driveshaft of the lubricant pump, and the lubrication pump is driven by the electric motor, and 
 when the solenoid magnet is deactivated, the shifting fork is moved in an opposite second direction, by the force of the spring, such that the clutch is shifted into the first position to establish the flow of force from the transmission to the driveshaft of the lubricant pump, and the lubrication pump is driven by the transmission. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The device according to  claim 6 , wherein the driveshaft of the lubricant pump and the driven shaft of the electric motor rotate about a common axis. 
     
     
       8. The device according to  claim 6 , wherein the clutch comprises a pinion having external teeth that mesh with teeth of a gearwheel that is located in the flow of force from the transmission. 
     
     
       9. The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the shifting fork is mounted to pivot about a pivot axis arranged between opposite first and second ends of the shifting fork, the first end of the shifting fork engages in a groove of the pinion and the second end of the shifting fork is connected to a rod of the solenoid magnet such that,
 when the solenoid magnet is activated, the rod pivots the shifting fork in the first direction such that the external teeth of the pinion disengage from the teeth of the gearwheel located in the flow of force from the transmission, and 
 when the solenoid magnet is deactivated, the rod pivots the shifting fork in the second direction such that the external teeth of the pinion mesh with the teeth of the gearwheel located in the flow of force from the transmission. 
 
     
     
       10. The device according to  claim 9 , wherein the pinion comprises a sleeve that is slidable on the second end of the driveshaft of the lubricant pump, the sleeve comprises the groove which receives the first end of the shifting fork, a further spring is arranged on the sleeve axially between the pinion and the groove, and the further spring exerts an axial pre-load on the pinion in the first direction.